Graves runs south from Bordeaux along the Left Bank of the Garonne. Its name comes from the gravel and pebbles deposited by the river, mixed in places with sand, clay and limestone. Pessac-Léognan occupies the northern end, where vineyards reach the edge of the city. Both red and dry white wine belong to the identity of the area.
One ground, two colours
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot lead the reds. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon lead the dry whites, with other permitted grapes playing smaller roles. The gravel drains readily and forms low rises across the landscape. Pessac-Léognan became a separate appellation in 1987, but its estates and the wider Graves tradition reach much farther back.
Pessac-Léognan sits inside the larger story
Pessac-Léognan is the urban, northern name and contains all fourteen current Crus Classés de Graves, including Haut-Brion, the sole estate outside the Médoc among the red first growths of 1855. Graves continues south through a much larger area. Graves Supérieures and Cérons add sweet-wine names to a map otherwise known for reds and dry whites.
A useful way in
Start with a dry white
A dry Graves or Pessac-Léognan white is the quickest way to understand what makes this part of Bordeaux different. Sauvignon Blanc brings freshness and Sémillon adds breadth. Follow it with a red from the same appellation and the shared gravel setting becomes easier to recognise across two colours.
Elsewhere in Bordeaux
Continue through the region
- Bourg & Blaye22 producersBourg & Blaye is Bordeaux's Right Bank estuary country, centred on Merlot-led reds from Côtes de Bourg and Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux.
- Entre-Deux-Mers11 producersBetween the Garonne and Dordogne, Entre-Deux-Mers is known mainly for crisp dry whites and broadly priced Bordeaux wines.
- Libournais36 producersEast of the Dordogne, Libournais brings together Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac. Merlot and Cabernet Franc lead on clay, limestone, gravel and sand.
- Médoc59 producersMédoc is Bordeaux's Cabernet-led Left Bank peninsula, a gravel corridor containing Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe and four wider appellations.
- Sauternes & Sweet Wines19 producersMorning mist, afternoon sun and noble rot turn Sémillon into Bordeaux's most concentrated sweet wines around Sauternes and Barsac.
A considered starting point
Producers in Graves & Pessac-Léognan
- Château Haut-BrionPessac-Léognan château with a Merlot-led 2022 red blend and a white wine named Haut-Brion Blanc.
- Château La Mission Haut-BrionChâteau La Mission Haut-Brion is a Talence producer of Graves red wines, known for a style described as bigger and more tannic than Château Haut-Brion.
- Domaine de ChevalierLéognan estate with Grand Cru Classé de Graves status in red and white, making Cabernet Sauvignon led reds and Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon whites.
- Château Smith Haut LafitteMartillac château with a gravel plateau, certified organic farming, Grand Cru Classé red status, and Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc flagships.
- Chateau CarbonnieuxBordeaux château making sustainable red and white wines, including Château Carbonnieux Blanc and La Croix de Carbonnieux.
Browse 15 more
- Château CouhinsPessac Léognan estate classified exclusively for dry white wine, with red and white wines from gravel, clay and limestone soils.
- Château de FieuzalLéognan Grand Cru Classé estate making red and white Bordeaux from gravel, sand, clay and small white stones.
- Château Haut-BaillyCru Classé Pessac-Léognan estate on a rise above Léognan, with Cabernet led red Bordeaux aged in oak.
- Château Haut-BergeyPessac-Léognan estate with biodynamic certification, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon led reds, and Sauvignon Blanc based whites.
- Château Larrivet Haut-BrionLéognan château with gravel and sandy soils, Cabernet led reds, and Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon whites.
- Château Les Carmes Haut-BrionBordeaux classified growth inside the city, making red wines from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Château Mons La GraveyreCambes estate making an organic IGP Atlantique red from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in oak barrels and clay amphoras.
- Château Picque-CaillouBordeaux estate making Graves red and white wines from a 1755 château.
- Maison CalvetRhône founded Maison Calvet expanded into Bordeaux and now sources regional wines from more than seven French regions.
- Maison GinestetBordeaux wine merchant founded in 1897, based in Carignan-de-Bordeaux, with an appellation portfolio and sustainable farming partnerships.
- Maison SichelBordeaux family négociant with named château holdings and a Merlot led Château Argadens red.
- Producta VignoblesA Bordeaux cooperative network founded in 1949, linking 2,500 winegrowers to bottles from 50 appellations.
- Vignobles André LurtonA Bordeaux family group whose Château Bonnet wines sit alongside restored Pessac-Léognan estates, including Château de Rochemorin and Château de Cruzeau.
- Vignobles DourtheVignobles Dourthe in Bordeaux works with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sémillon, and Sauvignon Blanc plantings.
- Vins et Vignobles DourtheA Bordeaux house spanning château bottlings, Sauvignon Blanc and concentrated red wines.